Conor McGregor set to undergo knee surgery after UFC 329 loss

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Conor McGregor announced that he would be going under the knife after sustaining a knee injury during his fight against Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329.

Although the extent of the injury has yet to be determined through an MRI, UFC CEO Dana White said he believes McGregor tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.

The highly anticipated rematch ended anticlimactically after McGregor blew out his knee in the opening seconds of the fight, resulting in a TKO loss in just 69 seconds.

In an unusual opening for McGregor, the former two-division UFC champion surprised his fans with a jumping roundhouse kick, which ultimately brought his comeback to an abrupt end.

After throwing the kick, McGregor hobbled upon landing on one foot, leading observers to believe that his right knee had given out.

Amid the criticism surrounding McGregor’s camp, his head coach, John Kavanagh, defended the roundhouse move, explaining that they had practiced the exact sequence since their training camp began.

“Devastated,” Kavanagh said.

“That opening jump switch kick was drilled daily for months, multiple times in warm-up. Never an issue. Knee went when he threw the very first kick. Doesn’t get any worse than this.”

On July 11, 2026, the crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas went bananas when McGregor returned to the UFC Octagon after five years of inactivity.

However, frustration and disappointment clouded the Irish superstar’s return after he suffered the worst loss of his UFC career.

“My faith is unconditional and I am thankful I get to prove it!” McGregor wrote in an Instagram post.

“Surgery. Prehab. Return to martial arts practice. Go again. Final fight of the contract. Please God! I trust in you Lord! Show me your way. Thank you God!”